3 Denver Broncos to blame for getting boat-raced out of playoffs by Bills

Before their Wild Card Weekend clash with the Buffalo Bills even began, the odds were stacked against the Denver Broncos. However, after an impressive opening drive, the AFC East champions outclassed them.

Denver put the Bills on notice early, needing only five plays to march down the field and take a 7-0 lead. For a brief moment, it felt like the Broncos had a chance to pull off the upset, though that was short-lived.

Buffalo responded accordingly, scoring 31 unanswered points en route to a blowout victory. The answer from the No. 2 seed Bills ascertained their status as upper-echelon Super Bowl LIX contenders. Meanwhile, Denver failed to fight back after throwing the first haymaker.

It was a disheartening performance by the Broncos and a sour ending to a shockingly awesome season. The Bills dominated them and proved to be a far superior squad. Nonetheless, the trio below didn't help Denver's cause, shriveling under the bright lights of the NFL playoffs.

3. Nik Bonitto

After a breakout 2024 campaign, Nik Bonitto made minimal impact in Buffalo. The third-year edge rusher recorded four empty tackles, rarely getting home or making life difficult for Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Bonitto set career highs across the board, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro Second Team honors en route to generating Defensive Player of the Year buzz. Yet, when they needed him most in a win-or-go-home matchup, he didn't deliver.

Buffalo's offensive line was pushing Bonitto around rather easily. The Bills had no problem blocking him and his inability to wreak havoc cost Denver tremendously.

Giving Allen time in the pocket to pick you apart with his arm or tuck and run is a losing recipe. Any chance the Broncos had of beating Buffalo on the road began with Bonitto and Co. on the defensive end. Alas, the 25-year-old didn't hold up his end of the bargain.

2. Broncos RB room

The Broncos ostensibly entered the contest intending to establish the run. But it wasn't working (at all), considering rookie signal-caller Bo Nix led the team in rushing.

Three running backs toted the rock for Denver, and Javonte Williams was the only one to eclipse 10 yards through the ground. Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin amassed six yards on their four carries.

Furthermore, no Broncos tailback broke off a run longer than seven yards. Their ineffectiveness had Denver's offense behind schedule early and often, making it hard to move the chains consistently.

With a first-year passer under center, the Broncos needed to win in the trenches. But they struggled to do offensively, making them incredibly one-dimensional and easy to stop.

There were no rushing lanes for the Broncos. The Bills' stout front seven understood what the Broncos were trying to do and handled it perfectly. Nevertheless, Denver's ineptitude to adjust falls directly on the next person on this list.

If the Broncos want to be a run-first scoring unit, they must address the position more appropriately this offseason. The makeshift committee of Williams, Badie and McLaughlin will only get you so far, which was apparent in this one.

1. Sean Payton

As the head coach, Sean Payton must accept when it's time to pivot. But he stubbornly continued trying to pound the rock against a pass-funnel Bills defense in a game they were mostly playing from behind.

Despite facing a bottom-10 secondary and top-12 run-stopping unit from yards-per-game standpoints, Payton tried to lean on the run. Reasonably, he wanted to not put all the pressure on Nix in his postseason debut, but that played into Buffalo's hands.

Payton was aggressive early, dialing up a 43-yard touchdown pass on the game's first possession and a risky first-half fake punt that paid off. But after that, it was all downhill. His lack of urgency was stunning, given how things got out of hand in the third quarter.

Nix looked comfortable and appeared to be the Broncos' best way of generating any offense. Regardless, Payton oddly elected to take an uber-conservative play-calling approach, which backfired tremendously.